Jonathan Woodgate says that Jadon Sancho is struggling with the style of play at Manchester United and would be a better player if he was at Liverpool.
The England international shone during his time at Borussia Dortmund, and looked an exciting signing for Man Utd when the move was first announced, but he just hasn’t got going at Old Trafford at all yet.
Former Premier League defender Woodgate remains a big fan of Sancho, and praised the youngster for moving abroad early in his career, though he’s suggested that the move to United was the wrong one for him.
Woodgate, speaking exclusively to Ladbrokes at its launch of the 5-A-Side Bet on Tottenham v Leeds, said he felt the style of football at MUFC is holding Sancho back, and that he’d be a better fit in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side.
“Things haven’t gone exactly according to plan for Sancho since he signed for Man United this summer,” he said. “I put it down to the style of play; it doesn’t suit him.
“If United replicated Dortmund’s approach then it would be a different ball game altogether, but Man United don’t play that way; they don’t play the sort of football Sancho is used to.
“Jadon Sancho is an extraordinary talent; if you play to his strengths, then he’ll come good. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll come good again. Put him in the Liverpool team, and he’d be a completely different player, I’m sure.”
It’s fair to say Sancho would probably find it easier to settle at Liverpool due to their similar style of play to Dortmund, but the 21-year-old is also far from the only player to struggle at Old Trafford in recent times.
Other talented names like Paul Pogba have also looked a shadow of their old selves, while other world class talents like Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay and Romelu Lukaku also struggled there before impressing after leaving.
Liverpool, by contrast, seem to do well at getting their signings to move up a level, with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and others all looking much improved since moving to Anfield.